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Introduction to Global Warming We are in danger of using up very valuable resources that have built up over millions of years and leaving nothing for future generations. 1. Is our Climate changing? Some of the most important environmental issues of today are those associated with a changing climate. 2. Global Warming Estimates, based on measured temperatures worldwide, indicate that global average temperature has risen by 0.5 degrees Celcius in the last one hundred years. 3. The Greenhouse Effect While solar energy is mainly either absorbed by the earth's surface or reflected, the earth's energy is recycled causing the temperature to rise. 4. Icebergs One of the strongest indicators of global warming is the breaking off of huge icebergs from the polar caps. 5. Why is Carbon Dioxide Increasing? Just as the hydrological cycle describes the continual movement of water between the atmosphere, the land and the oceans, the carbon cycle refers to the transfer of carbon between these parts of the system. 6. How fast is Carbon Dioxide increasing? Measurements shows that carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere over time are increasing at an observatory on top of a dormant volcano, Mauna Loa. 7. Predicting Future Climates As ice forms bubbles of air get trapped and when examined they can tell us about the atmosphere at the time the ice was formed. 8. What can be done? We could choose to alter our lifestyle so that less carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. 9. Kyoto - A start? In December 1997 most of the governments of the world were represented at a global conference held in Kyoto, Japan. The purpose of the meeting was to see if some agreement could be reached to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Worksheet on Global Warming Ten questions on global warming. | Our Planet Kyoto Summit |